Feeding America’s Post

The third annual Pantry Bowl kicks off on Nov. 19! Want to get involved? Check out a few ways below:   1. Make a gift — the minimum is $5, and the competition is based on the number of gifts received, so each gift is important.  2. Share the Pantry Bowl link with your friends and family outside of NC State to raise awareness and encourage others to join in. 3. Promote the Pantry Bowl on social media now through Nov. 26 — it’s easy to share with these tools. #FeedThePack #NCSU

FOOD: Where did you come from, where did you go? During seasons throughout the year, our food pantry at THRIVE goes through changes, just like the weather. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas our shelves are full, just in time to pass along holiday blessings to struggling families. The early spring benefits from the holiday fill-up and our shelves are healthy and spry. But heading into the summer months and moving into the fall, the demand for our services remains steady. In fact, historically our busiest season of the year is not Christmas, instead it's summer. That's when electricity bills are high and kids are home from school so there are more mouths to feed. It's also when food is the least available to us to restock our shelves So where does our food come from anyway? THRIVE is a partner agency of the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank and we truly cannot do this work without them. They supply 32% of our food. We send volunteers there 2-3 times per week to load up on essentials to fill our shelves and for the last several months that food has been free for us. The Foodbank also connects us to Food Lion and other stores through a program called Neighbor2Neighbor. This allows us to "rescue" food that otherwise may have been tossed, but is perfectly safe and edible to eat. Since we rely so heavily on the Foodbank, when their shelves are bare (as it is right now), it creates a strain for us to continue to serve at the same capacity.  The other half of our food donations comes directly from supporters like you who personally drop off food donations or who rally their workplaces, social clubs, and congregations to host drives on our behalf. Our most needed list that's presented each month in our newsletter is a list of items we know we won't get from other sources and since our budget to purchase food is small, we rely on our supporters to keep us stocked to serve. Right now, food drives are more important than ever! We are currently distributing food at record capacity and we need the support of our community to continue at this pace. If you are willing to host a food drive for THRIVE, please reach out to us for guidance, signage, or anything else we can do to boost your food drive. Call Jen at 757-209-4540 or email jen@thrivepeninsula.org to get started. 

“My name is Denys. I'm food services manager at Main Street Project. I'm on the 4th year working here now. We are working on the partnerships with different donors and getting food to people who need it the most. It’s challenging to find right the fit for people who are unable to cook on their own. We do have some access to raw foods, but many of our participants don't have ability to cook that food. Another challenge is we have a very tiny kitchen that supports the operation of feeding on average 500 plus people a day. The biggest challenge, I would say, is to get folks the right nutrients of food. Food insecurity is huge and has become even more of a problem here in Winnipeg. There is an uptick in using the food banks. This tells me that food insecurity has grown a lot. We see much younger people coming over to the food bank. We see families with little kids that are coming to food bank as well. Right now, we are facing a higher inflation, food cost is way, way higher than what we experienced before and our food donations is way lower than we have ever seen it. I've done calculations for our shelter. When we feed people three times a day, came down to $0.71 per person per day for three times. Quite often, people will think oh, I have to give at least $10 or $20 to make a difference. No, it's not the case. Even $1.00 will help somebody have a meal today.” Your purchase of 50/50 tickets supports Main Street Project’s food programming, which provides over 1,000 meals each day to the community. Ticket sales close end of the day on January 31! Draw takes place February 1. Buy your tickets today: https://ow.ly/Txkm50QsINy #MSPBuildingStability #Winnipeg #Manitoba

Food insecurity affects every community in the U.S. Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study is a powerful tool to understand local impact and take action. We can leverage this data to address factors impacting food insecurity and unite to ensure everyone has access to the food and resources we all need to thrive. Some key findings from our most recent study include: 🔸 Food insecurity impacts communities in every county, parish, and congressional district in the U.S. 🔸 Child food insecurity rates can reach almost 50% in some counties. 🔸 Eight out of 10 high food insecurity counties are in the South, indicating regional disparities. 🔸 Rural counties disproportionately experience high levels of food insecurity compared to urban areas. Visit https://lnkd.in/ehTE8Qy4 to learn how food insecurity impacts your community. This study is powered by generous donations from NielsenIQ (NIQ) and Conagra Brands Foundation

On Wednesday, Feeding America's Research & Innovation department released our annual Map the Meal Gap study. Food insecurity exists in every county, parish and congressional district in this nation, but it isn’t experienced equally. Food insecurity levels vary across regions, influenced by factors like unemployment and poverty rates as well as policies and practices rooted in history that continue to hold people back today. Eight out of 10 counties with the highest rate of food insecurity are in the South. Rural counties disproportionately experience high levels of food insecurity compared to urban areas. And racial disparities persist, with significant variations in food insecurity rates across different racial and ethnic groups and geographic locations.  You can explore the data in your community at map.feedingamerica.org. I encourage you to learn about the impact of hunger in your community. Spark conversations around the systemic factors that drive food insecurity then join the movement to end hunger through your local foodbank like the ones in the communities I've called home: Mississippi Food Network: https://www.msfoodnet.org/ Community Foodbank of Central Alabama: https://feedingal.org/ Mid-Ohio Food Collective: https://mofc.org/ Chicago Food Depository: https://lnkd.in/gbJeEiKg Help us create a future where we all have access to the food and resources we need to thrive. #EndHunger

🌟 Exciting News as We Approach the 33rd Annual Fifth Third Day!🌟 This May 3rd (5/3), join us in celebrating a special day dedicated to community and compassion. Each year, Fifth Third Day symbolizes our commitment to tackle the pressing issue of food insecurity, one community at a time. 📈 In today's challenging times, food pantries are experiencing the same budgetary pressures that affect us all. With grocery costs having risen by 24.7% since March 2020 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), and less overstock available for donation, food banks are finding it increasingly difficult to support those in need. But there's hope! * On Fifth Third Day, and throughout May, our collective actions will make a tangible difference. Your involvement will help us provide millions of meals across our 11-state footprint, extending even to California and Texas. Let's come together to make a significant impact! Share this post, spread the word, and let's fight food insecurity together! #FifthThirdDay #CommunitySupport #FightFoodInsecurity #MakeADifference #FifthThirdBank #communities #53Day #53better

🎉 National Day of Giving - A Time to Share and Care! 🎁 As we find ourselves in the heart of the holiday season, let's not forget that it's also the National Day of Giving! Today, we are invited to step away from the commercialization of the holiday season and focus on the true spirit of giving. In line with this, we'd love to highlight the work of Columbia County Food Bank https://cpfoodbank.org/. They supply food resources and nutritional education to needy families. Their mission aligns perfectly with the purpose of today. The Columbia County Food Bank always needs contributions, whether in the form of food, funds, or time. You can make a difference during this Season of Giving in several ways: Donate online: You can make a monetary donation directly on their website. Every dollar significantly affects and can supply multiple meals to needy individuals. Volunteer your time: Volunteers are the backbone of the food bank. You can sign up on their website to help in various capacities. Host a food drive: Organize a food drive in your neighborhood, workplace, or social gathering. This is an excellent way to collect non-perishable food items for the food bank. Let's use this day as a reminder that even the smallest act of kindness can make a significant difference in someone's life. Let's give generously, spread love, and bring hope to those who most need it. 🙏 "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill 🙏 Remember, the Season of Giving is about more than just material gifts. It's about compassion, kindness, and improving the world. Happy National Day of Giving! #NationalDayOfGiving #GivingTuesday #ColumbiaCountyFoodBank #FeedTheHungry #FoodBank #DonationsNeeded #CharitableGiving #SeasonOfGiving #GiveBack #CommunityService #CommunityInvolvement #TaxPrep #TaxSeason #AccountingHelp #FinancialPlanning #YearEndGiving #TaxDeductions #CPA #AccountingTips #GiveLocal #MakeADifference #Volunteer #CharityWork #SocialGood #NonProfit #DonationDrive #SupportLocal #TaxAdvice #PublicAccounting #CommunityImpact

Every year, Feeding America conducts an extensive report called Map the Meal Gap, collecting data on individuals in every county in the US to determine the national state of food insecurity. Data from 2022 was just released, and in Harvesters' service area, 1 in 8 people (12.4%) are experiencing food insecurity, up from 1 in 11 the previous year. For children, that number is 1 in 6. Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study is a powerful tool to understand local impact and take action. We can leverage this data to address factors impacting food insecurity and unite to ensure everyone has access to the food and resources we all need to thrive. Some key findings from our most recent study include: 🔸 Food insecurity impacts communities in every county, parish, and congressional district in the U.S. 🔸 Child food insecurity rates can reach almost 50% in some counties. 🔸 Eight out of 10 high food insecurity counties are in the South, indicating regional disparities. 🔸 Rural counties disproportionately experience high levels of food insecurity compared to urban areas. You can help fight food insecurity in Harvesters—The Community Food Network’s 26 counties by: 🍽️ Giving Food 👫🏽 Giving Time 💵 Giving Money 🗣️ Giving Voice Help us devour hunger today! #harvesters #foodinsecurity #foodisahumanright #nonprofit

The other day, our food pantry received a phone call from someone wanting to know if clients had to be at least 18 years old to get food assistance. What a heartbreaking question! Of course, we assured the caller that we had food for everyone, no matter their age. One barrier food pantries should regularly reflect on is how accessible their services APPEAR. For small nonprofits, it can be tempting to emphasize professionalism and a businesslike demeanor through official-looking paperwork, formal language, and strict policies. However, emphasizing the formalities makes it more likely that people experiencing hunger will fear that they are ineligible or not qualified to access food, such as this young person just looking for some help with groceries. It is still possible for a food pantry to be professional and sophisticated, and also friendly and welcoming. We can make sure everyone has access to the food they need, and still be professional. We need to prioritize the humanity and dignity of our clients above all else, and then craft systems around that attitude which allow us to meet the professional and administrative responsibilities of our organizations.

Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study is the only annual report that provides local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs for every county and congressional district in the US. This year's study, published yesterday, shows the harsh reality that 44 million people face hunger, and that the amount of money needed to get the food families need to be food secure has reached a 20 year high. Kane County, IL, where I live outside Chicago has a rate of food insecurity of 10.2%. You can use the reporting tools here https://lnkd.in/gzdAX9UY to learn more about food insecurity where you live. Then visit https://lnkd.in/gG-MhEeR to learn what you can do and how you can help! https://lnkd.in/gR_Qz6fB